Study Finds Tea Drinkers Have Healthier Brains
A study from the National University of Singapore has found that people who drink tea regularly have healthier brains compared to non-tea drinkers.
For three years, the researchers studied the brains of 36 adults aged 60 and above, and found that those who drank tea regularly – at least four times a week for about 25 years – had better organized brain areas, which is a sign of healthy brain function. Specifically, they drank either green tea, oolong tea or black tea.
As people get older, their brain function slowly gets worse. For example, many older people have difficulty remembering facts and events. However, drinking tea regularly may help to slow down this aging process by up to 50% according to another study by the same researchers.
With the new study, the authors wanted to find out why tea improves brain function. By comparing images of the brains of tea drinkers to non-tea drinkers, they learned that drinking tea improves connections between different parts of the brain.
Past studies have shown that drinking tea – especially green tea – can improve mood as well as help deal with stress and prevent heart disease. It might also help with weight loss by improving the body's ability to turn fat into energy.
Tea is the world's second most popular drink, after bottled water. In 2018, people around the world drank about 36 billion liters of tea, with the biggest tea drinkers living in Turkey, Ireland, Paraguay, Argentina, Kuwait and the UK.
